Sri Lanka hosts seven large Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions; First time in-person since 2019
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. This tradition was interrupted in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organization shifted all their in-person events to video-conferencing. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, this year marked the first time they gathered at much larger regional events around the world.
Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience”! Convention series. In Sri Lanka, the national conference was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium for three days from July 14-16, 2023, in Sinhala language. A live baptism was performed following the Saturday morning session and a prerecorded drama was featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.
Six more conventions aim to explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through Scriptural examples.
“As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting,” said Naleen Wanigasekara, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “While our online conventions reached millions around the world and kept our communities safe, we long to get back to our joyful fellowship at these large gatherings.”
In Sri Lanka, the upcoming conventions will be conducted as follows;
| Venue Location | Date | Language |
| Clover Banquet Hall – Kelaniya | 28-30 July | Tamil |
| North Shore Auditorium – Mattakuliya | 21-23 July | English |
| Green valley Hotel | 4-6 August | Sinhala |
| Chilaw Far Inn | 11-13 August | Sinhala |
| Rajeswary Hall – Thellipalai | 18-20 August | Tamil |
| Rajeswary Hall – Thellipalai | 22-24 September | Tamil |
The conventions are open to the public and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to jw.org and navigate to the “About Us” tab.